法國官方文件淘汰“小姐”稱謂

法國官方文件不再要求女性選擇“小姐”或“女士”的稱謂來透露她們的婚姻狀態。法國總理弗朗索瓦·菲永已經下令所有地區與地方政府，將用來稱呼未婚女性、且帶有稚嫩不成熟意味的“小姐”稱謂從官方文件上移除。今後，人們在填寫政府文件時，只能選擇“女士”或“先生”這兩個稱謂。法國婦女團體表示“小姐”這一稱謂有性別歧視意味，讓人聯想到早期，女性的掌管權從父親手中傳到丈夫手中的情景。

Official French documents will no longer force women to reveal their marital status by requiring them to choose the title Mademoiselle or Madame.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has ordered all regional and local governments to remove the title "Mademoiselle" -- used for unmarried women and implying a youthful immaturity -- from official documents.

From now on, people filling out government forms will get just two choices: Madame or Monsieur.

The change, signed in a memo to regional and local governments by Fillon this week, comes after lobbying from women's groups who argued that Mademoiselle is sexist. Its male equivalent -- Monsieur -- does not distinguish marital status.

Mademoiselle also carries connotations of youth and immaturity, making it potentially problematic for unmarried women after a certain age, and confers a lesser status.

Chanel's "Coco Mademoiselle" for example, is for example is described as a lighter, fresher version of the original Coco.

Respondents on official documents will also no longer be asked to supply their maiden names, their father's last name, or the name of their husbands.

Fillon noted that various government forms contained terms "referring, without justification or need, to the marital status of women." When forms are next printed, those titles must be eliminated, he wrote.

Two groups, Osez le Feminisme (Dare for Feminism) and Les Chiennes de Garde (The (female) Guard Dogs) began a joint campaign in September as a reminder that "the Madame/Mademoiselle distinction ... is a sign of standard sexism that endures in our society."

"Far from being flattering, the title "Mademoiselle" obliges women to divulge their private life, as if marriage conferred a superior value on women," wrote the campaign.

"It's a reminder of the time when women passed, through marriage, from the authority of their fathers to the authority of their husbands."